MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre yesterday said that a "lack of strenuous drug testing" by UFC was "one of the factors that led to his decision to step away from the sport," according to Julien Arsenault of the CP. St-Pierre said, "It bothered me greatly." He confirmed that UFC "did not support him when he proposed drug testing in the weeks preceding his Nov. 16 fight against Johnny Hendricks." St-Pierre left the sport in December following UFC 167, saying that he "needed time away to sort out some personal issues." Arsenault noted St-Pierre yesterday was "prudent in his comments," being "careful not to point fingers at any one person or fighter." He stressed that he "wasn’t accusing anyone of steroid abuse." St-Pierre "repeated he hasn’t set any timetable to make a decision regarding his UFC future." He added that "implementing drug testing is not a condition for any potential return to the sport" (CP, 1/14). St-Pierre said that his decision to leave "wasn't to teach UFC a lesson ... because that would punish himself, too." He "insists that he just wanted to do something" for MMA. St-Pierre: "I love the sport. I see the direction it's going, and I think it's crazy. This is stupid" (POSTMEDIA NEWS, 1/14). UFC co-Chair & CEO Lorenzo Fertitta yesterday said he was "completely confused" by St-Pierre’s comments. Fertitta: "I don’t know where Georges is coming from. He said he needed time off for personal issues." He added that St-Pierre "never told" him or UFC President Dana White "he was angered at their drug-testing plan" (L.A. TIMES, 1/15).
